My name is Paulo Morales Castillo and I am a freelance analytics/data engineer based in Berlin, Germany.
I am constantly learning about new technologies and tinkering with data in one way or another. I write about my experiences on my blog.
My work experience
I first entered the world of data analytics in 2014. Back then, I joined a data team of three, me being the second full-time employee at the time. Working in a fast-paced environment at a growing startup provided me with the opportunity to dive into different topics across the data realm: Data science, data engineering, web analytics, and marketing analytics to name a few.
Our greatest strength is the exact opposite of narrow specialization. It is the ability to integrate broadly. – David Epstein in Range
This setup, combined with my interest in mastering new technologies, eventually led me to become a data all-arounder. Most recently, I have been focusing on tasks that gravitate towards the intersection of business teams, Data Analytics and Data Engineering. The most up-to-date version of my resume is available on my GitHub.
My core skills
In a world of constant and rapid change, the true advantage of data practitioners lies not in the usage of a particular software or programming language but rather in the ability to master new technologies in an efficient manner. When it comes to choosing tools for data analysis, orchestration, or dashboarding, I am agnostic.
What do you think was the most powerful tool in getting my career started? Programming? Tableau? Relational databases? Thompson sampling? You might be surprised to hear that it was PowerPoint, but this is the reality. – Kirill Eremenko in Confident Data Skills
Having said that, my work is concentrated on the following topics:
- descriptive, exploratory, and predictive data analysis (Python, R);
- data warehouse setup and maintenance (dbt, Azure Synapse, BigQuery);
- data orchestration and transformation (Azure Data Factory, Airflow);
- dashboard creation and automation (Power BI, Metabase).
My work style
An idea for a solution could look great on paper, but often times is not viable in production. Data practitioners out there can relate to such experiences. For this reason, I aim for minimalism over complexity in my solutions. In the context of data, I approach challenges following best practices and keeping the end-audience of my products in mind.
We who cut mere stones must always be envisioning cathedrals. – medieval quarry worker’s creed
I strive to achieve focus on my day-to-day work, wherever and whenever feasible. Thus, I arrange most of my calls and meetings on Tuesdays, leaving the rest of the week to dedicate all my attention to the tasks at hand.
What my clients can expect
Reliability in my commitments, transparency in my communication and competence in my work.
We are prone to overestimate how much we understand about the world and to underestimate the role of chance in events. – Daniel Kahneman in Thinking, Fast and Slow
Moreover, my clients can always expect:
- A calendly link, which they can use to schedule meetings at a time of their convenience.
- A Trello Kanban board (or any other preferred Kanban technology), where we would frequently communicate about progress, roadblocks and deadlines.
- A shared folder on Google Drive (or any other prefered cloud storage system), where we would share presentations and documentation.